Lobelia plant named ‘LOBZ0008’

ABSTRACT

A new  Lobelia  plant named ‘LOBZ0008’ particularly distinguished by medium large, light blue flowers with narrow white markings, strong stems with medium long inflorescences, dark green foliage, rounded leaves, free branching, and a compact, tight and upright plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Lobelia erinusL.

Varietal denomination: ‘LOBZ0008’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia,botanically known as Lobelia erinus, and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘LOBZ0008’.

‘LOBZ0008’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas medium large, light blue flowers with narrow white markings, strongstems with medium long inflorescences, dark green foliage, roundedleaves, free branching, and a compact, tight and upright plant habit.

‘LOBZ0008’ originates from a hybridization made in May 2008 in Andijk,The Netherlands.

The female parent was the proprietary (now commercial) Lobelia plant‘Tech Heplib’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,760, initially designated‘LOB04-286-1’, having light blue flowers, upright plant habit with darkleaves and strong, short stems. This variety has smaller flowers anddarker green foliage than ‘LOBZ0008’.

The male parent of ‘LOBZ0008’ was the proprietary Lobelia plantidentified as ‘LOB07-204-2’ (unpatented), with deeper blue flower color,longer stems, and more trailing plant habit than ‘LOBZ0008’.

The resulting seed was sown in June 2009 and ‘LOBZ0008’ was selected asone flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in August2009 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘LOBZ0008’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inJanuary 2010 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in the spring of 2011 in Andijk, The Netherlands, andcontinuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination ofcharacteristics as herein disclosed for ‘LOBZ0008’ are firmly fixed andare retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘LOBZ0008’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied for with theEuropean Union on Aug. 29, 2014, No. 2014/2116. ‘LOBZ0008’ has not beenmade publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of thisapplication.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Lobelia as a new and distinctvariety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘LOBZ0008’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type.

The photographic drawings show in FIG. 1 a close-up of the flowers andin FIG. 2 a flowering potted plant of the new variety.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in late April 2014 from plantsgrown in a greenhouse trial in Andijk, The Netherlands. The pottedplants were growing on benches in a greenhouse and were approximately 12weeks of age.

The observations and measurements were taken in Andijk, The Netherlandson Aug. 5, 2015 on 12-14 week old plants that were growing outdoors in25 cm containers. Culture of these plants had started in May 2015 withthe planting of rooted cuttings, 1 plant per container, and pinchingabout two weeks later.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.), 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VAREITY ‘LOBZ0008’ AND A MOSTSIMILAR VARIETY ‘LOBZ0004’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,721, commerciallyknown as ‘Techno Heat ‘LOBZ0008’ Upright Light Blue’) Flowering: Morefloriferous Fewer flowers Flower, main color Somewhat deeper blue Palerblue hue, larger and markings: hue, narrow white stripes white zone, nodark dots and 3 tiny deep blue dots Plant habit: More compact, more Moreopen mounding

-   Plant:    -   -   Growth and habit.—Compact growth habit; dense, and freely            branching with short internodes, Upright plant habit.        -   Height.—About 10-12 cm (from top of soil).        -   Height (inflorescence included).—About 28 cm.        -   Width (horiz. diameter).—From 25-30 cm.        -   Branching characteristics.—7 main stems, each with 3-4            secondary branches.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 11 weeks            for a 12 cm pot.        -   Garden performance.—Used as patio planters, in mixed            container plantings, or in garden beds.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—21-28 days at 20-23°            Centigrade.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—About 15 days at about 22            degrees C.        -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—21-25 days.        -   Type.—Fibrous and freely branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155A.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire to slightly incised.        -   Leaf length.—2.5-4.5 cm.        -   Leaf width.—0.4-0.8 cm.        -   Immature leaf, color upper surface.—RHS 137B.        -   Immature leaf, color lower surface.—RHS 138A.        -   Mature color upper surface.—RHS 147B.        -   Mature color lower surface.—RHS 147C.        -   Venation type.—Pinnate.        -   Venation color, upper surface.—Same color as leaf blade.        -   Venation color, lower surface.—A little protruding, same            color as leaf blade.        -   Texture.—Weak pubescence, both surfaces.        -   Petiole.—No petiole, leaves are sessile.-   Stem:    -   -   Characteristics.—With slightly strengthened, protruding            edges, side branches are developed at almost every node.        -   Stem length.—8-9 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2-0.4 cm.        -   Internode length.—2-3.5 cm.        -   Color.—Mainly RHS 145A.        -   Texture.—Finely pubescent.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Raceme, composed of single flowers in an alternate            arrangement with one flower per node, subtended by a small            leaflet.        -   Blooming habit.—Continuously through the growing season from            spring to the fall.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—About 250 per            container/50 per plant.        -   Quantity of flowers per inflorescence.—Up to 16 open            flowers, and additional buds.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—3-6 days,            depending on temperature.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Inflorescence length.—18 to 20 cm.-   Peduncle:    -   -   Color.—From RHS 143B to RHS 144B.        -   Length.—7-8 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.-   Pedicels:    -   -   Color.—RHS 147C.        -   Length.—1.3-1.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.-   Flower:    -   -   Corolla type and shape.—Single, zygomorphic; upper lip is            formed by two small petals, lower lip has three larger            petals; petals are fused at the base forming a relatively            long funnel-shaped tube.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Shape.—Elongate.        -   Length.—0.9 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.4-0.5 cm.        -   Color (at tight bud).—RHS 157B (greenish white) and RHS            N100C (light blue).-   Immature flower:    -   -   Main color upper surface.—RHS 100C.        -   Main color lower surface.—RHS 101C.        -   Immature flower, width.—1.0 cm.-   Mature flower:    -   -   Flower, (horizontal) length.—2 cm.        -   Flower, (horizontal) width.—2 cm.        -   Flower, vertical length (depth).—2.1 cm.        -   Color upper lip, upper surface.—RHS 100C.        -   Color upper lip, lower surface.—RHS 101C.        -   Upper petal lobes, length (from the tube opening).—1-1.1 cm.        -   Upper petal lobes, width.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   Nectaries at base of lower petals.—RHS 94B.        -   Lower petal lobes, length (from the corolla opening).—1-1.2            cm.        -   Lower petal lobes, width.—0.6-0.9 cm.        -   Tube, color (outside).—RHS 94A.        -   Tube length.—0.9-1 cm.        -   Tube width.—0.3-0.4 cm.-   Petal (lobes):    -   -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex shape.—Mucronulate.        -   Base.—Fused, funnel-shape.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture upper surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture lower surface.—Short hair, mainly along the mid            vein.-   Calyx:    -   -   Shape.—5 sepals in a whorl, slanting outwards, fused at the            base.        -   Sepal color.—RHS 187B.        -   Sepel length (free ends).—0.7 cm, respective 0.9 cm when            including the funnel shaped part.        -   Width.—0.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Ligulate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Quantity: 5. Filament, color: RHS 92A. Filament            length: 0.6 cm. Filament, diameter: 0.1 cm. Anther color:            RHS 202A. Anther length: 0.2 cm. Pollen amount: Little.            Pollen color: RHS 3B.        -   Pistil.—Quantity per flower: 1. Length: 0.9 cm. Stigma            color: RHS 147 B. Stigma length: 0.25 cm. Style color: RHS            145C. Style length: From 0.5-0.7 cm.-   Fruit and seed set: Occasionally observed outdoors.-   Disease and insect resistance: Resistance and susceptibility typical    for the species, no special observations made.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lobeliaplant named ‘LOBZ0008’ as shown and described herein.